Dr. Jonathan Parker studied at Mansfield College, Oxford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was awarded his doctorate and taught political science until being appointed at Keele University, where he is now a Senior Lecturer in Politics as well as a National Teaching Fellow.

He teaches American politics and public policy. He writes about higher education and U.S. state policies regarding race and equality. His book Challenges to the Liberal Arts: Undergraduate Education in the United States and United Kingdom is forthcoming from SUNY Press.